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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28066779">Snowed In</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlankUsername7768350/pseuds/BlankUsername7768350'>BlankUsername7768350</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Wilds (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Starbucks, Stuck in the car with the girl i hate so much because of snow trope, drive-in theater parking lots, mentions of becca gilroy, mild angst?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:00:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,734</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28066779</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlankUsername7768350/pseuds/BlankUsername7768350</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Toni’s the captain of the basketball team, Shelby’s the president of the Youth Christian Club. Despite their mutual dislike for each other, they’re forced to plan a joint fundraiser for their respective extracurriculars. However, a severe snowstorm forces them to spend a little more time together than necessary and talk about a few other uncomfortable things besides a fundraiser.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shelby Goodkind/Toni Shalifoe, Shelby/Toni, Shoni</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>856</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>ST13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Joint Fundraisers and Jesus Christ</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Apart from the holidays, winter brought all of the worst things for Shelby - cold weather, seasonal depression, and basketball season. She couldn’t stand basketball; more specifically, she couldn’t stand the captain of the team.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was nothing personal, really, Shelby just hated pretty much everything that Toni embodied. Toni was cocky, arrogant, aggressive, hot-headed, and on top of all of that, she was gay. On second thought, maybe Shelby didn’t hate her, she just very strongly </span>
  <span class="s2">disliked</span>
  <span class="s1"> her and pitied her, especially with regards to the gay part. It would be sad to end up alone, and so sometimes she’d pray for her, even if Toni didn’t deserve it. There was something else about Toni that she didn’t like either, something that left a burning feeling of anger and confusion in her chest. It was the same burning feeling that she got when she’d lie awake after praying for Toni, wondering why it felt like the prayer wasn’t for just Toni.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">However, the winter also brought snow, which intrigued Shelby endlessly, as she had just moved up from Texas and had never seen it or touched it. Today was one of those magical days when a thick blanket of snow covered the ground, creating a completely blank and white canvas in the first moments after the snowfall begins. Shelby admired the blankness from the classroom window as she waved goodbye to the members of the Youth Christian Club. After the last person had left, the club advisor, Mrs. Burkett entered the room and began talking to Shelby. By the time their conversation finished, Shelby was internally frowning.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For Toni, the winter brought an outlet for her anger. It was appropriate to react explosively and aggressively on the basketball court. The emotions that seemingly always hindered her in everything else were what allowed her to excel in her sport. Ironically, playing basketball was like her moment of peace, despite all of the anger she was permitted to release during games. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Toni sat on the bleachers, untying her shoes after a long practice had ended. She sighed, basking in the temporary relief from reality and school and her foster family. As she was changing into her slides, a certain blonde entered the gym from the main entrance and shattered her moment of peace.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mrs. Burkett and Coach Hill want the Youth Christian Club to do a joint fundraiser with the basketball team,” Shelby stated as she approached and looked down at Toni. Her voice echoed throughout the empty gym.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Toni glanced up and rolled her eyes. She knew that Shelby wasn’t exactly fond of her, and quite frankly, the feeling was mutual. She couldn’t stand Shelby’s little miss-perfect and holier-than-thouattitude. Even in this moment Toni felt like she was talking down to her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why the fuck would they want that?” Toni asked, meeting Shelby’s eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“First of all, we both need money,” Shelby replied, forcing a tight-lipped smile afterwards. “And secondly, Mr. Thorn is ‘heavily encouraging it’, as Mrs. Burkett put it, because he thinks it’ll help with the school’s image, which as a matter of fact, I agree with.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Toni scoffed. “First of all,” she started, mocking Shelby, “I really don’t care what you think. Secondly, I really don’t want to do this. If Coach Hill and whoever else give so many fucks, why don’t they just plan it themselves?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Shelby sighed and crossed her arms. “I don’t know, Toni. Maybe because they thought we’d be mature enough to plan it, considering that you’re the captain of the basketball team, and I’m the president of the Youth Christian Club?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Couldn’t care less,” Toni said as she grabbed her bag and walked away towards the gym exit on the opposite side of where she was sitting on the bleachers. She threw up her middle finger at Shelby without turning around for good measure.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Lord have mercy. Every day she becomes more and more insufferable</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1">, Shelby thought as she spun around to watch Toni walk away. She huffed and debated for a split second whether or not she should follow Toni. Just before Toni reached the door, Shelby stomped after her. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait!” Shelby called as Toni opened the door. Toni didn’t even turn around. When Toni opened the door, both girls were greeted with a rush of frigid air and snowflakes to the face. Shelby looked down at Toni’s bare legs, wondering how on God’s green Earth she wasn’t cold right now, as she hadn’t even changed out of her basketball shorts. The second that she looked down she felt guilty for doing so, and she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, despite the freezing cold weather that she just walked into. She trained her eyes back up towards Toni’s face and torso. </span>
  <span class="s2">At least she had the sense to put on a sweatshirt</span>
  <span class="s1">, she thought. She grabbed onto Toni’s arm.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What?” Toni snapped, clearly annoyed.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you being serious right now? You just don’t want to do this fundraiser and that’s it? You won’t even consider it?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes, yes, and no. Now would let go of me so I can get to my car?” Toni jerked her arm away and glared at Shelby, staring into her light eyes, watching as the snowflakes became entangled in her hair and melted when they touched her face. After a second, she awkwardly averted her gaze, turned around, and began the trek back to her car. She heard the crunch of Shelby’s footsteps following her again.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“For heaven’s sake, could you just be mature about this and plan this with me? It’s not like I want to do this either and it won’t take more than an hour max, Toni.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Toni continued trudging through the snow towards the parking lot. As she got closer, she noticed that there were only two cars left in the lot, parked two spots away from each other. They must have belonged to her and Shelby, unless Shelby had parked somewhere else. She really didn’t have the time to listen to Shelby ramble on and on about this stupid fundraiser. She was freezing and needed to get home, or at least her legs were freezing; on her face there was a twinge of heat.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you even listening?!” Shelby nearly yelled as she grabbed Toni’s arm again. At this point they had reached their cars. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fine!” Toni yelled back. “We can plan this stupid fucking thing, but not now! Get off of me and hop off my dick! I’m sorry I’m not exactly thrilled about doing a joint fundraiser with a stupid club that hates my literal existence!” She aggressively shoved Shelby’s hand off of her arm and opened her car door. She looked over at Shelby’s stupid face through the window and sighed. She looked extremely </span>
  <span class="s2">annoying</span>
  <span class="s1"> in her high ponytail and sweater and jeans. Shelby glared at Toni with the top half of her face but smiled at her with the bottom half as waved goodbye. She watched Shelby walk towards her own car as she tried to start the engine. And again. And again. And a fourth time. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2"><em>Fuck. Of course</em>, </span>
  <span class="s1">Toni thought. </span>
  <span class="s2"><em>Out of all the times that this piece of shit car wouldn’t work, it had to be right now, in this very moment</em>. </span>
  <span class="s1">She slammed her hands against the steering wheel and smacked the dashboard. She quickly assessed her situation - she could go back into the school, which she did not particularly like the sound of, she could call someone to pick her up, but she wasn’t sure if anyone would be willing to drive in this snow to get her, she could freeze to death in her car, or she could ask Shelby for a ride. She looked over at the blonde only to see her already staring over at her with her brow furrowed, probably because she had just witnessed Toni’s meltdown. Toni sighed and opened her car door and began walking towards Shelby’s car. When she got to the driver’s side, Shelby rolled down her window. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you good?” She carefully asked. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“My engine won’t start,” Toni explained as calmly as she could. “Could you...” she paused and shivered and swallowed her pride, “give me a ride home? Please?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. So Much Sighing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>So much bickering about religion</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for the feedback friends. Full disclosure though, I wrote the first chapter at like three in the morning and I have like, no vision for this. Something will probably materialize along the way. You can also leave suggestions for what you wanna see, because I'm a little uncreative🤠</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After watching Toni enter her car, slam the door in her face, and glare at her through the window, Shelby turned away and began heading towards her own car. Something about the last part of Toni’s brief tirade had unsettled her and sent a stinging feeling coursing through her body. She felt numb, and it wasn’t from the soft, white, powder that was falling from the sky and tangling itself in her hair. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t hate her existence</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Shelby thought to herself as she settled into the driver’s seat of her white car. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I just strongly disagr-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before she could finish her justification, she found herself snapping her head towards a muffled pounding sound to her right. Toni was slamming her hands on the steering wheel and against the dashboard. After a few moments of watching Toni annihilate the inside of her vehicle, Toni looked over at Shelby and sighed. Shelby merely blinked for what could have been a second, and the next thing she knew was that Toni was opening her car door and approaching the driver’s side of Shelby’s car. Shelby emotionally braced herself, as she assumed that she was about to receive tailend of Toni’s rage. She rolled down her window.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you good?” She carefully asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“My engine won’t start,” Toni explained in a strained voice. “Could you… give me a ride home? Please?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A wave of emotions washed over Shelby. The girl that was currently hovering over her and asking for a ride home was the same one that had just yelled at her over a joint fundraiser. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Must be God teaching her a lesson</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought and half audibly laughed, which she tried to cover up as a strangled sigh. Despite the annoyance, confusion, and disdain that had initially flooded her body, Shelby couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge of excitement bubbling in her chest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But why? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She wondered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Was it because she was getting what she deserved because of how immature she had just acted? Excitement didn’t seem like an appropriate emotion to feel if that were the case. Was it because she would be alone wi-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Yet again, Shelby’s thoughts were cut short by a sound created by Toni. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello? Are you even listening?!” Toni said as she threw her hands into the air.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shelby looked over at Toni’s shivering body and couldn’t help but feel bad. “Fine. Get in.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Toni jogged around the frontside of Shelby’s car towards the passenger side and entered the car. She put her bag down and looked at Shelby.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep. Maybe next time don’t wear basketball shorts when it’s below 32 degrees outside and there’s snow on the ground.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Toni bit her lip, knowing that insulting her temporary chauffeur was not the best course of action. A beat of silence passed between them before Shelby opened her mouth to speak again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Where do you live? We should probably leave soon before the snow gets too crazy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, right,” Toni replied, not making eye contact with Shelby. “It’s off of Washington Street by the Bluebird Park.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ!” Shelby exclaimed. “It’ll take like 30 minutes </span>
  <em>
    <span>minimum</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get there, especially in this weather.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Shelby cut Toni off this time. “It’s fine. Just… you might have to direct me a little bit.” She looked over at Toni who was looking down at her hands. Toni looked up and muttered “thanks”, trying to push down the agonizing butterflies in her gut.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shelby started rearing out of her parking spot, driving extremely slowly and cautiously. As she turned out of the lot, she attempted to turn the radio on, hoping to fill the awkward silence that was quickly growing between them. There was only static on every radio station she tried. She sighed for what felt like the thousandth time in the past twenty minutes. Toni was somebody who could sit in silence for an hour; Shelby was not.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you gonna do about your car?” Shelby inquired, desperate to make the most shallow and light conversation possible.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t know. Probably make Martha drive me to school tomorrow and get it then.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. Well you should probably get your frickin’ God-awful engine checked out sometime.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You know I’d love to if I could,” Toni snapped back. “But if you care so fucking much about my ‘frickin’ God-awful Jesus-terrible’ vehicle, you can get it checked out for me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The only reason why I care,” Shelby started, “is because you’re in my car right now as a result of yours sucking!” She wanted to angrily step on the gas and floor it, but she maintained her steady pace of twenty miles per hour when the speed limit was fourty.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to fucking drive me!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What was I supposed to do? Leave you alone in the freezing cold?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t put it past you! You probably only agreed to do this anyway because you thought Jesus would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>sooo</span>
  </em>
  <span> insanely disappointed in you that you felt bad. Actually, it’s not like Jesus would care if you left me in particular, you know, because of the homosexual thing and all?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shelby pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. She slowly turned her burning, red, face towards Toni. “First of all,” she angrily began, “Jesus didn’t make me do anything, asshole. I wanted to!” Her face flushed a deeper red upon her admission. Toni furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes. “Secondly,” Shelby continued, “Jesus loves everybody, no matter what lifestyle you choose. He’ll guide you back to the right path if you let him.” She averted her gaze away from Toni and stared back at the road. She started driving again before she could respond.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Toni let out a strangled, loud laugh that made Shelby jump. “You can’t seriously believe that shit about it being a choice, Shelby. Why the fuck would I choose to make my life more difficult than it has to be fucking be?” She spat as they rolled over a pothole. Shelby’s phone slid off the console and onto the floor behind Toni’s seat. The snow was coming down much harder and faster now. Shelby’s windshield wipers couldn’t keep up with the rate that the snow was falling at. They had only been driving for a little less than ten minutes at this point.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, Toni! That’s just what I was taught growing up, and I was raised right.” Shelby squinted in an attempt to see the road better.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’ve never questioned the way that you were raised and the bullshit things that you were taught ever?” Toni’s eyes were burning holes into Shelby’s skull, and she could feel it from across the car. Shelby felt a pleasant tingly feeling pooling in her stomach. She hesitated as she turned Toni’s question over in her mind. Before she could respond Toni spoke again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s fucking sad.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ! I can’t do this!” Shelby yelled. She pulled over yet again. “I can’t see the damn road, and it doesn’t help that you’re screaming in my right ear about God and being gay like I don’t know anything about it.” Her face flushed red again, and as she looked over at Toni’s, she noticed that there was a tinge of red too as these words spilled out of her mouth. “Do you have any idea when this snow is letting up? Because I have a bad feeling that I might hydroplane especially because you make me wanna floor this stuipd thing, considering you’ve got me all worked up over this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Toni looked down, mulling over what Shelby had just said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the fuck does she mean that I’m talking about how she doesn’t know anything about being gay? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She almost burst out laughing at the thought of Shelby with a girl, or with her, or-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Toni’s face burned at the thought. She slowly looked back at Shelby, who was already staring back at her, awaiting an answer to the question that she left hanging in the air, which Toni had already forgotten. When she realized Toni wasn’t going to provide any help, she sighed and rolled her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“For heaven’s sake, if you’re not gonna do anything, can you at least pass me my phone?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Toni quickly nodded, unbuckled her seatbelt, and reached behind the seat to pick up Shelby’s blue iPhone. She handed it to Shelby and their fingers touched for a split second too long. They stared into each other’s eyes and sat in the tiny warmth that came from another body rather than the car. The brief tenderness that flashed across Shelby’s face quickly evaporated into annoyance, and Toni turned away and coughed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Shelby swiftly nodded and immediately busied herself with tapping away at her phone. Relief washed over her when she opened the weather app and saw that the snow would likely slow down or stop in the next fifteen minutes. “Is it cool if we just wait out the snow for a little bit? It says it’s gonna stop soon.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep.” Toni replied without looking up. “It’s your fucking car.”</span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great. The only other thing that I ask is that you refrain from talking to me, unless absolutely necessary.” Shelby said in a clearly fake sweet voice. She smiled and batted her eyelashes at Toni.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Toni trained her gaze at Shelby’s face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Quiet Game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Shelby sucks at the quiet game</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for all the kind comments! I appreciate them very much. I'm glad other people are writing for this fandom lol so I can fuel my obsession</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The second that Shelby declared the strict “no talking” rule, her head flooded with thoughts and feelings. It felt like the silence was applying an excruciating amount of pressure on her brain and the dam that held back all of her repressed emotions had finally burst open. She chanced a quick look over to her right at Toni, who was pressed against the door as far away from Shelby as possible, chin resting on her fist with her eyes fixed on the endless snow to her right. Shelby’s own eyes brimmed with tears as anguish and confusion and <em> longing </em> pulsed through her veins. Why were these words and messed up feelings spilling out of her? And why to Toni of all people? She had no problem dismissing Toni or brushing her off at school, but the second they were alone, she felt out of control. </p><p> </p><p>“I have questioned the things that I’ve been taught, by the way.” The words came out softer and less certain than she wanted them to. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh really?” Toni challenged her. “When? And didn’t you just make a whole big fucking fuss over not wanting to talk?”</p><p> </p><p>Shelby gulped. Here she goes again, spilling her guts to a girl she didn’t even remotely like. She locked eyes with Toni, taking in her quirked eyebrow and smirk. “We’re briefly breaking the rules, just for a minute.” As soon as she said it, she wondered why she so urgently needed to prove to Toni that she could think for herself. Toni looked over at her, expecting an answer to her first questions.</p><p> </p><p>“I used to question everything, all the time,” Shelby sighed. “Like why we even had to go to church in the first place, and why we always had to pray. But that was when I was really little, and my parents would just give me some vague answer about how it was what Jesus wanted. When I got older and I started to ask what even <em> really </em> separates good people from bad people. I knew people who didn’t go to church every Sunday or pray every night that were good people, but for some reason I was told that they’d still go to hell. My parents didn’t like all the questioning I was doing. So I stopped.”</p><p> </p><p>When she locked eyes with Toni, she expected to see an eye roll or that same smirk that was resting on her lips earlier. Instead she was met with soft eyes and a frown, but not a disapproving or annoyed frown. It radiated sadness and sympathy, which made Shelby want to run from the girl in her passenger seat as far away as possible. She’d rather take the typical anger that came from Toni.</p><p> </p><p>“So now you just blindly believe everything that was taught to you?” Toni asked. “Is that really worth doing just because your parents expect you not to question them?”</p><p> </p><p>Shelby shrugged. “It makes things easier,” she responded. “And when you question things, people get hurt,” she added, her voice dropping a few decibels.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean by th-”</p><p> </p><p>“Stop. We’re not supposed to even be talking right now,” Shelby interjected before Toni could spit out the whole question.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me remind you that that was a rule that you imposed and proceeded to break, you asshole,” Toni countered. “But fine, I won’t ask.”</p><p> </p><p>Shelby sighed in relief too soon. </p><p> </p><p>“But I just need to know,” Toni continued. “What the fuck did you mean by that whole dramatic ‘stop talking about God and being gay like I don’t know anything about it’ shit that you said like ten minutes ago?”</p><p> </p><p>The snow only started coming down harder, and so were all the emotions that Shelby was feeling. </p><p> </p><p>“I can’t do this right now,” Shelby simply replied.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s super weird, because you were fully capable of doing this approximately sixty seconds ago, so I don’t get it.” Toni had the familiar death stare painted across her face now.</p><p> </p><p>“I wouldn’t expect you to get it.”</p><p> </p><p>“You know,” Toni growled. “For somebody who clearly hates the expectations that are placed on her by her parents and religion and society, you sure are hypocritical.”</p><p> </p><p>Instead of responding, Shelby put the car in drive and slowly made her way back to the road, fully aware that Toni was shooting daggers into the side of her head at that very moment.</p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck are you doing? I thought we were waiting for the snow to chill out?” Toni asked, slightly unnerved.</p><p> </p><p>“Well it’s clearly not letting up like the stupid forecast said, and there’s a shopping center less than a mile away from here. I’d rather be stranded for an hour in a Starbucks instead of on the side of this depressing road,” Shelby coldly replied as she determinedly pushed fifteen miles per hour.</p><p> </p><p>For a second Toni actually had felt bad for Shelby. She just looked like she needed a hug, and Toni had to resist the urge to wipe away the tears that were threatening to fall from Shelby’s eyes at any moment. Despite her slightly puffed up eyelids and generally annoying appearance, Shelby had almost looked beautiful for half a second, with her light eyes and full lips and high ponytail. But now, Toni wanted nothing more than to punch Shelby square in the jaw. She was the one who declared that they’d be playing the quiet game, then proceeded to lose at the game (or rather bend the rules to suit her agenda), then opened up for half of a second, and then immediately shut down again. Instead of physically attacking her, Toni would have to settle for a diatribe instead.</p><p> </p><p>“You are really <em> fucking </em> annoying, you know that right? You know what I think? I think you can’t make up your fucking mind. You act like your parents’ expectations of you are crushing you, when really they have no weight! Who gives a fuck what they want from you? You’re not gonna fucking live with them forever. You’re allowed to think differently than them, you know. If they hate that so much, then just keep it to yourself. There’s no need to spew that shit on other people. It just feels like you’re projecting all of your bullshit homophobic gospel or whatever was implanted into your mind on to me, which totally makes sense now because you practically just insinuated that you’re gay.”</p><p> </p><p>“WOULD YOU SHUT UP? I’M NOT GAY!” Shelby screamed from the driver’s seat. Her blood was boiling at this point. She had never cared for self-driving cars before, but in this moment she wished that hers was automated so that she could reach over and strangle Toni. “You literally have no idea what <em> anything </em> in my life is like, so maybe don’t provide unhelpful, condescending, and stupid input on my problems.”</p><p> </p><p>Shelby was so worked up that she almost missed the turn that would take them straight to the shopping center. She slowly made the left that took them to the shopping center, but continued driving past the stores and into a drive-in theater parking lot about a quarter of a mile behind the center. Toni’s invective completely killed any desire that Shelby had to get coffee or even move from her seat in the car. As she pulled into the lot and put the car in park, Toni opened her stupid mouth to speak again.</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously, Shelby, you act like you have no freedom and that there’s always these expectations holding you in a fucking death grip or whatever when it’s not true! We’re in a deserted parking lot, miles away from those bullshit expectations that your family places on you. You’re free. You can think or say or do whatever the fuck you want right now, and if you’re not taking advantage of that then I don’t know what the fuck to tell you.”</p><p> </p><p>Shelby let Toni’s words wash over her and without thinking twice, she turned to her right to face her and kissed her. Initially, Toni was taken aback by the sudden bold gesture, but when she felt Shelby’s hands gently cupping the back of her neck, she melted into her kiss and touch. It was soft and gentle, almost unsure, a kiss where both parties are testing the waters, but laced with the promise of something more, whether or not they knew it yet. The warmth and safety of another body against hers caused a wave of ecstasy and fondness to surge through Shelby’s body. Then everything felt wrong. The butterflies fluttering in her stomach were quickly replaced by the scorching feeling of guilt. </p><p> </p><p>Before either one of them could deepen the kiss, Shelby pulled away. The dam that was holding back her emotions had really burst now. Tears streamed down her face and she turned away from the girl she had just kissed. She had no idea what she was supposed to feel right now. Her instinct was to feel ashamed, scared, and disgusted. She sobbed as she let these feelings pump through her bloodstream and fill her entire body with humiliation and sadness. All that she wanted to do in this moment was run away as far and as fast as she could. She wanted to run away from the stupid expectations that were placed on her by everybody, away from the overhanging feelings of shame and fear that loomed over her, away from the girl who she kissed and wanted. </p><p> </p><p>A second wave of emotions flooded her head when Toni reached across the console and took her hand, grounding her body and mind firmly in this moment. This time she felt things that bordered dangerously close to comfort, security, and happiness rush into her system and evict the shame that she had felt just seconds ago. She let her tears continue to fall as she leaned over to rest her head on Toni’s shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so sorry,” Shelby choked out.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Toni asked. “Shelby, relax, I-”</p><p> </p><p>Before Toni could finish, Shelby had already opened the car door and was bolting away towards nothing. Toni watched her figure become enveloped in the falling snow for a split second before shoving open her own door and taking off after her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm so sorry that this fanfic literally has no vision. There will probably be like one or two more chapters unless I change my mind or somehow come up with an actual plot for the story. I think that because of the relatively shallow and weak foundation for this story, it might be better off staying shorter. I also don't exactly proofread before I post lol</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Snowed In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yikes!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The second that Toni burst through the car door, the frigid air whipped her in the face. She inhaled the sharp snowflakes, but only felt the cold invade her lungs for a moment before the adrenaline began coursing through her body. When she took off after Shelby, that was all that she felt. Adrenaline. The confusion, anger, and desire that were suffocating her in the car seemed to scatter with the freezing wind, leaving Toni with nothing besides the need to catch up to Shelby. </p><p> </p><p>She had been so shocked when Shelby leaned in to kiss her. She didn’t really believe that Shelby was gay, she had only made that comment to get a rise out of her. Shelby had closed the gap between them quickly, but when her lips landed on Toni’s they were soft and gentle. Toni would have pulled away to ask something along the lines of “what the fuck?”, but Shelby’s hands curling around the nape of her neck was enough reassurance for Toni, until that is, Shelby pulled away and began sobbing. The kiss had ended as quickly as it started.</p><p> </p><p>Shelby was running towards nothing, only the endless white snow. With each passing second, Toni slightly closed the distance, her basketball skillset giving her an advantage over the beauty pageant princess. The snow fell harder, making it extremely difficult for either of them to run at maximum speed. Everything was burning. Despite the temperature and the limitless snowflakes, both girls felt like they were on the verge of internally combusting. The running had warmed their bodies, leaving only their extremities cold. They tore up the ground, ruining the perfect blanket of snow that had been created from the sky’s soft tears.</p><p> </p><p>“Shelby!” Toni yelled. “Fuck! Would you please just stop and talk to me?” </p><p> </p><p>She was gaining on her faster now, and there were only about twenty feet between them. They were relatively far from Shelby’s parked car, and only getting farther.</p><p> </p><p>Tears streamed down Shelby’s face, mirroring the sky and freezing as they hit the ground. She knew that Toni was getting closer, but she had no intentions of stopping. It felt like everything around her was on fire, burning to ground, set alight by her. She knew how this went. She had already been through it with Becca. When you fuck up like this, the worst things happen. Your parents stop talking <em> to </em> you, other people start talking <em> about </em> you, and then you start saying things you don’t even mean. And then somebody dies. Despite how much she claimed that she hated Toni, she didn’t want that for her. Maybe she wanted Toni, but it felt like everything that she touched crashed and went up in smoke and died. As these thoughts flooded her head and old memories unwillingly resurrected themselves, the stream of tears flowed even harder than before, harder than the sky was crying.</p><p> </p><p>Toni had finally closed the gap between them, a much bigger gap than the one Shelby had closed only minutes ago. Toni threw her hand out and grasped onto Shelby’s arm. Surprisingly, Shelby put up little resistance. They were beginning to become aware of the fatigue and coldness surrounding them.</p><p> </p><p>“Shelby,” Toni panted, “please talk to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t,” Shelby choked out.</p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck just happened in there?” Toni’s hand was still attached to Shelby’s body, but it had drifted downwards towards her wrist. Her question was met with silence. The howling wind filled the empty space that was engulfing them. Toni’s hand continued drifting downwards, and Shelby laced their fingers together, possibly unknowingly, desperate for the warmth of another body, desperate for skin-to-skin contact with Toni. She turned to face her.</p><p> </p><p>“I... can’t,” Shelby repeated. “That was wrong. So wrong. It should have never happened. I should have never let it happen again. I’m going to be alone.” The tears never stopped painting her face. “You have to fucking leave me alone.”</p><p> </p><p>Now it was Toni’s turn for tears to fill her eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“Fuck you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m being serious. Leave me alone.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere! You want me to just fucking leave you here?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Just. Go.” Shelby said through gritted teeth as she turned to look away.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” Toni replied. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you fucking meant what you just said. Tell me that wasn’t your parents. Tell me that wasn’t the church. Then I’ll leave you the fuck alone.”</p><p> </p><p>Shelby couldn’t look at her. Her face was stinging as the tears continued to pour out of her eyes. She turned farther away from Toni. </p><p> </p><p>“It was wrong!” She said again, with less conviction and slightly softer. “That way of life is wrong and the prayers aren’t working and I’m going to hell and I'm going to be alone and you’re gonna die so you need to go!”</p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck do you mean I’m going to die?” Toni shot back. “What the fuck are you talking about, Shelby? Look at me!”</p><p> </p><p>“I CAN’T!” Shelby yelled. Their hands were still locked together. Shelby squeezed onto Toni’s tighter, again, possibly unknowingly. “I’m so sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you sorry? And I’m not gonna die, you know that, right? Like what the fuck?”</p><p> </p><p>Shelby finally looked at her again, square in the face. The tears slowed for just a second as her face turned cold and the lightness left her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Bad things happen.” She blinked. “Everything that I touch like that gets fucked up, Toni.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t fucking know what you’re talking about,” Toni said, staring back at Shelby. Neither of them broke their stare. Toni inched closer to Shelby. “If this is some dramatic religious thing, shit doesn’t get fucked up because of God, Shelby. Things get fucked up because that’s how life is.”</p><p> </p><p>The snow and wind were suffocating both of them. There was so much empty space around them and still not enough room to unpack everything. Their feet were soaked, as the snow had melted through their shoes and socks. The coldness ripped through their bodies, and Toni’s bare legs were no longer warm from the running she had just done. They stood too close for comfort, but just enough for security. Their breaths materialized as wisps of vapor as they panted and stared at each other.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know what to think,” Shelby finally said quietly, so quiet that it was almost swallowed by the wind and the snow and the whiteness. “I don’t know how to think right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then don’t,” Toni said softly. “You don’t have to. Like I said, you’re miles away from everything and all of those bullshit expectations. You can forget about them for a second.” She moved her free hand upwards to wipe the tears off of Shelby’s face.</p><p> </p><p>The tender gesture sent a rush of heat through Shelby. She felt Toni’s hand swiftly glide across her face and stared into Toni’s eyes, which were also slightly puffed up from her own tears. They looked at each other for a second too long. Shelby slowly started leaning in to close the gap between them again. When they kissed for a second time, it was the same slow, soft, and gentle touch that they had exchanged the first time. They pulled away at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure?” Toni asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>Shelby bit her lip and sighed. She leaned in again. This time Shelby kissed Toni with more force, more intensity, more longing. When she broke the kiss she never tore her eyes away from Toni’s. Their foreheads were still touching when she spoke again.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure,” she rasped out.</p><p> </p><p>Toni reached up to cup the back of Shelby’s head and Shelby mirrored her motion as they both leaned in again. The warmth that had left their just bodies promptly returned as they deepened the kiss. Toni moved her hands down towards Shelby’s waist and ran her fingers along Shelby’s sides. She pulled her closer as desire flooded both of their bodies. Toni ran her tongue along Shelby’s bottom lip, and Shelby granted her tongue access to her mouth. They needed more. When it had become so intense that neither of them could breathe, they pulled away and suddenly remembered where they were. As soon as it had ended, Toni expected another breakdown from Shelby and was pleasantly surprised when she only uttered two words.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s cold,” Shelby stated.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Toni nodded in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry that I ran so far,” Shelby said sheepishly.</p><p> </p><p>Toni laughed at that. She reached down to grab Shelby’s hand again. “Wanna head back?”</p><p> </p><p>Shelby nodded and laced their fingers together. They began their trek back to the car in silence, giving each other space to allow any emotions to wash over them. This time, however, no heavy emotions came. Only light, giddy, ones rushed through their bodies. The snow began slowing down, and although it was still freezing cold, a certain fire remained alight in both girls. </p><p> </p><p>When they reached the vehicle, the snow had completely stopped falling. Shelby unlocked the car and they entered their respective sides. She started the engine, cranked the heat up, and looked to her right to see Toni already staring at her.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Toni asked.</p><p> </p><p>Shelby turned away and nodded, and immediately buried her face in her hands. After a moment she looked back up. </p><p> </p><p>“I just need some time,” she croaked out. </p><p> </p><p>Toni slowly nodded in understanding.</p><p> </p><p>A couple inches of snow had fallen since they pulled up to the drive-in parking lot. Shelby tried her best to drive over the now-faint tire tracks she had created when they had initially entered, but she still drove cautiously and slowly, despite there being nothing around them. As they approached the shopping center, they saw the main road covered in a fresh blanket of snow. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you think it’s safe to drive on that shit?” Toni asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Um,” Shelby started, debating in her head whether or not it would be safe to drive right now. “Maybe we should wait a few minutes… again. I think the plow might come through sometime soon, since it’s typically a busier road. And because the snow stopped.” <em> And also because I want to spend more time with you </em>, she thought.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Toni simply replied.</p><p> </p><p>Shelby slowly pulled into the shopping center parking lot. There were very few cars parked, likely only belonging to employees of the stores and perhaps one or two others that got stuck. </p><p> </p><p>Shelby’s prior desire for coffee suddenly resettled in her stomach.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want to go into the Starbucks while we wait?” She asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you asking me on a date?” Toni lightly teased.</p><p> </p><p>Shelby’s face flushed red. “Toni, I-”</p><p> </p><p>“I was kidding,” Toni replied, gently touching Shelby’s arm from across the console. “Let’s go.”</p><p> </p><p>As expected, the Starbucks was mostly empty. The barista looked up upon the two girls’ entrance and laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“Wow,” he smiled. “Was getting Starbucks this important to you guys that you came out in a frickin’ snowstorm for it?”</p><p> </p><p>“We were already out,” Shelby answered good-naturedly. “But yes, Starbucks is to die for,” she added, playing along.</p><p> </p><p>The barista smiled as he took their orders. Shelby insisted on paying, which had made Toni smirk.</p><p> </p><p>“So it is a date?” She poked her arm.</p><p> </p><p>Shelby rolled her eyes. A wave of disapproval almost began rushing over her, but she pushed it down. She was away from all of her responsibilities and expectations. She was allowed to just be here, present in this moment, with Toni. </p><p> </p><p>When their drinks were done being made, they sat down at a table by the window facing the main road. They laughed and exchanged gentle and light words as each girl individually recounted the events that had occurred today. After about ten minutes of sitting in each other’s company, they watched as the snow plow went by, sweeping up the snow and dropping salt as it rolled past the Starbucks. Shelby gazed out into the endless, untouched whiteness. A blank canvas, an empty space. It felt like the snow had given Shelby a chance to redo the things that she had messed up, to create something new on the unused whiteness. She turned to glance at Toni, then back towards the window and sighed. She wished that the snow would never end, so that she could remain here with her forever, away from the responsibilities, away from the expectations. She wished to stay in this place where her only worry was being present in the moment, snowed in with Toni.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading, and thank you to all of those who left comments! I really did appreciate them. Like I previously mentioned, this fic really had no vision/solid foundation/plot, as I basically just wanted to release content since I know we're all currently starved of it. I'd definitely be open to writing more for The Wilds, especially if you guys liked the writing and have prompts or something you'd wanna see. Thank you guys again for reading, it means a lot to me :)</p>
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